Thoroughbred ownership has changed
mightily through the years. In the not-so-distant past the sport was dominated
by scions of industry that nearly exclusively raced homebreds, matching
generations of bloodlines one against the other.
That blood has thinned considerably, now divested among greater numbers
of breeders, and today, save for a few holdouts, owners dip into the commercial
market to buy their racing stock. More recently the rage among horse owners is
partnerships, as the costs of buying and racing stock demand mitigation of risk
among relatively small owners, while even the most powerful operations today
seek out partners to lessen the blow of seven-figure equine acquisitions.
How, then, do Eclipse Awards voters parse out this new reality when
faced with doling out an owner championship? Circumstances on the racetrack in
2017 will take us a long way in determining that answer.
Partnerships have been slighted in the way their accomplishments have
been presented to voters. The slightest change in the name or line-up of partnership
entities causes each to be listed separately from one another, so that if a
certain person is involved in multiple partnerships that each raced top-level
winners, he or she would not be credited for the totality of those
accomplishments.
This season has lacked a dominant single owner. The trio of 3-year-old
classic winners (quick, name this year's Belmont Stakes presented by NYRABets,
G1, winner) failed to train on and accomplish anything over the year's second
half. Superstars Arrogate, Gun Runner, and Songbird couldn't sustain their brilliance over the entire year.
Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms raced Arrogate, 2017 dual-grade 1
winner Paulassilverlining, and additional grade 1 winner Antonoe, giving it
four top-level North American victories for the year, besting Godolphin's
three, Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence's three, and Calumet Farm's
two.
But what to make of owner Sol Kumin, who has taken the partnership
concept as far as Larry David takes his neuroses, and with equal success. Kumin
has revolutionized the partnership concept well beyond simply two separate
entities joining forces. And although he owns a small piece of many horses, he
actually owns a sizable chunk of his best 2017 runners. Kumin, his friend Jay
Hanley, and two silent partners race under Sheep Pond Partners, and own
two-time 2017 grade 1 winner Lady Eli whole. Kumin also owns 50% of 2017 dual
grade 1 winner Beach Patrol and 50% of 2017 grade 1 winner Dacita. He owns 25%
of additional 2017 U.S. grade 1 winner Ascend. But because he owns Beach Patrol
under Sheep Pond and Head of Plains Partners (along with James Covello), Dacita
under Sheep Pond and Bradley Thoroughbreds, and Ascend with Stone Farm, his
cumulative totals won't be presented to voters in one place. It should also be
noted Kumin purchased Dacita and Lady Eli at auction, and bought Beach Patrol
privately after an allowance optional claiming win. These were not "ready-made"
horses he bought into, although Kumin does some of that as well.
All told, Kumin can claim at least a 50% slice of six grade 1 North
American victories this season. Horses he co-owns have won at least 11 grade 2
events and eight grade 3 races as of Nov. 27. In all, Kumin has landed 25
graded races thus far in 2017 won by 16 different horses. Juddmonte's four U.S.
grade 1 victories, and nine graded wins by six horses to date come closest to
Kumin's totals.
Given today's reality of horse ownership, it seems to us when compiling
year-end statistics for the purpose of awards voting, a person or partnership
entity should be given credit, in one place, for the accomplishments of their
runners. It is not that difficult with modern technology to sort numbers in
this fashion.
If voters wish to deduct points for owning less than the totality of any
horse or horses, that is within their bailiwick. But give them the tools to
make the most reasoned choice possible.
Particularly in a year as wide-open as this.
